IN March this year the Italian men’s cricket team made history by making their first-ever appearance at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Someone hoping to secure his own slice of history in the Italian cricket side is Northwood School Grade 11 learner Sam Minietti.

In April this year, the 16-year-old represented the U19 Azzurri (‘the blues’ – the famous nickname for Italy’s national sports teams) cricket team.

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The Durban North resident, who is Italian on his father’s side, played two 50-over games and a T20 game against Switzerland in Padua, Italy.

Now he has been selected again for the U19 Italian team’s tour in Guernsey in July.

Reflecting on his performances in Italy, Minietti said he felt there was room for improvement.

“We all took inspiration from the senior men’s team so we wanted to show our talents. It was a new environment with new teammates so part of that tour was me learning and adapting to conditions. I felt I was better with the ball against Switzerland. I was one of the most economical but I felt with the bat I could’ve done better. The good thing is that it was a great learning curve for me, international cricket is definitely a step up,” the batting all-rounder said.

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The U19 team won one ODI and one T20 against the Swiss team.

While he remains grounded and focused on improving as a player, Minietti hopes to crack the nod to make a senior team.

“Of course that is a long-term goal but right now I’m staying in the present and tackling whatever is in front of me. I want to continue to work hard for my goals. This is the same approach to our tour of Guernsey. Part of my goals are team-focused but I personally would like to stand out and contribute to the team in whatever way I can,” he said.

While Minietti’s Italian is coming along, he has been learning through the language app, Duolingo.

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